Power of plants to treat diabetes

New drugs – derived from plants – may help to treat diabetes, according to British scientists.

A group of researchers at the University of Greenwich’s School of Science, led by Dr Solomon Habtemariam, believe they have identified potential sources of medicines derived from plants which may have fewer adverse side effects for diabetes sufferers.

The scientists are investigating the properties of two plants found in south east Asia which they think could have properties that are not only anti-diabetic, but also lipid – or fat lowering.

Dr Habtemariam, a leading expert on drug discovery researches from natural sources, says the work could prove a crucial breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes, which he describes as a “growing global epidemic.”

“Diabetes is a huge burden to society in general… and this problem is likely to get worse in the next decade. There is no known drug of cure and so, all in all, it’s a huge incentive for us to carry out research in this field,” he says.

The disease, a result of chronically high levels of glucose in the blood, affects more than 300 million people in the world. It is split into two main classes: type 1 and type 2. The former normally affects children, while type 2, the most common type, is often diagnosed later in life and in some cases can be managed by diet, exercise and weight loss.

The researchers at Greenwich aim to isolate and identify certain extracts from the plants Cassia auriculata and Cassia alata, which could have ‘active ingredients’ for treating diabetes. They discovered that one of the compounds isolated from the plant, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, has proven to be more than eight times more potent than the standard anti-diabetic drug, acarbose.

“Our other most interesting finding is that many of the active ingredients from the Cassia auriculata plant work through a process called ‘synergism’ – in other words, they work together to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects,” Dr Habtemariam says.

“Overall, this suggests that the crude plant extract has lots of potential to be used clinically for treating diabetes and associated diseases,” he adds.

However, the research team are only at the drug discovery stage, with more research and clinical trials needing to be conducted.